Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-11-19

WdEIu lFeSu fllAh INTO
Miss Denzil, after she had drunk it,
rose, and bidding the girl come to her
early next morning, took her way back to
the hall, smiling to herself as she thought Of
riting love letters, as proxy for peasant
girl, TO a distant private in her ma estys SER
vice.
How little she thought what would come
Of i'll
She was rather pleased at the idea of the
Office she had taken on herself; it would
make her useful, and she he'd long felt the
/ purposelossncss Of her daily life as wei as its
| dullness.
Mary made her appearance at tho hall the
next morning with due punctuality, and
found Miss Denzil ready for her in that young
ladv's pleasant room. She Mary DenziD was
seated at a table placed near an open win
dow, through which the morning sun glinted
cheerily.
"WeTl. Mary" she said, as the girl curt
seyed, II find that the Indian mail goes to-
morrow: so we had better take part Of our
time today for the letter writing. Get
chair and sit by me. That is right; now tell
me what I arm to say to -. What is his
name'
Jack Parker, Miss Denzil."
every WE'LL / have written, Dearest
jack now tell me what to say next"
But Mary appeared to find it as difficult to
employ an alnauuensis as Goldsmith did. She
twisted her fingers, coughed, and finally sug-
gested: II hope you are WELL as this leaves
me at present Then she came to stand
still.
"Won't you tell him how you miss him'"
suggested Miss Denzil, after faithfully re-
cording this commencement.
Mary eagerly assented.
And then Miss Denzil taking the matter
into her own hands entirely, wrote charm
ingly tender but simple and modest love let
ter And inspired by the memory of her
yesterdays early stroll, she added an account
of Mary's present home, and a picture lin
words of the lovely sunrise, Of the green
fresh meadow, of the lark's song and the
breath of flowers and green leaves. and,
above all, Of the coolness Of "dear Eng
land asking him if he did not long to return
10 his own land; and adding that a friend
meant soon TO bring him home.
She read it aloud to Mary, who was de-
lighted and grateful.
Jack viii be pleased" she said "But, oh,
Miss Denzil, how pretty that was about the
meadows. / never noticed or knew how
pretty it all looked till you read ABOUT it."
'sBe mora observant them" said her
teacher, ''and you will find subjects for your
next letter Now we will try writing"
But the lesson sorely taxed the young lady's
patience Marys stiff fingers and awkward
position seemed unconquerable, and her at
tempts at copying were dreadful. But Miss
Denzil persevered, and submitted to the
irudgery of the lessons with the greatest
good humor, though she saw that the pros
pect of being relieved from her self imposed
duties of amanuensis was very distant indeed.
BY and by the answer to the letter came,
and Mary took it to Miss Denzil to be read to
her. The young lady gazed with extreme
surprise at an admirable specimen of excel
lent penmanship Jack was evidently well
educated And as she read the simple, manly,
but well expressed letter her establishment
increased Jack first assured his love Of his
perfect health-indeed the epistle began
nearly in her own words--and then went on
to tell her of his love an6 constancy.
"Who," he wrote, "w,uld not love such
pretty village maiden, who knows, too, how
to appreciate the sweet fresh loneliness of our
own dear land, and who can draw such
charming word picture of it"
And then he lin turn gave an animated
picture of Indian life-of the hot, glaring
day; of the noisy night, disturbed by the
cries of iackals, the tom-toming of natives in
the near village, the hiss of snakes, the
strange snoring of an insect; all so well de
scribed that the young lady was nearly as
much interested as the village girl.
MARY she said, as she finished reading
the letter, your Jack is very clever young
felow-too clever to be a private. We must
buy his discharge and get him back for you.n
Mary flushed crimson, and was about to
speak, but checked herself, and then thanked
Miss Denzil earnestly but awkwardly, while
the latter returned the letter with a secret
pity for the man who, though he might be of
the girls station, was mentally so immeasur-
ably above her.
This correspondence went on with great
regularity for some months; one mail only be-
ing missed, during the London season.
And then came the Afghan treachery and
war, and the private's letters grew more and
more animated as he described to Mary the
exciting scenes through which he was
passing; his words were as spirit stirring
as a trumpet call, and Miss Denzil
wondered more and more at this astonishing
private She looked forward as eagerly as
Mary for his letters, and her own took more
of q natural tone when she answered him.
She wondered hersek sometimes at the new
interest her Office as amanuensis threw into
her life
At last, however, came Sir Frederick
Roberts wonderful march from Cabul TO
Candahar, and then, after long interval, in
which both girls were really anxious for
Jack Parl1er's safety, there came another let
ter. But what did it meanl
1t was a badly scrawled, i'll spelt missive
and signed thus; "John Parker K his mark"
"Why, Mary, what does it meanp ques-
toned her astonished amanuensis
Mary began to cry.
ooh, please, forgive me, ma'am," she
sobbed, "for letting you think that Jack was
such a good scholar But you said-you said
that Jack was too clever to be a private,
and that you must buy his discharge because
he wrote such good letters; and so I was